Emery: Arsenal need to start games better

LISBON, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 25: Unay Emery, Manager of Arsenal FC reacts during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Sporting CP and Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on October 25, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Unai Emery admits that Arsenal must start performing better in the first-halves, despite claiming their 11th straight win at Sporting Lisbon on Thursday

Both sides got off to a slow start at the Estádio José Alvalade with Arsenal managing just two tame shots on target before the interval.

But the Gunners began to improve afterwards with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang twice being denied by Sporting goalkeeper Rúben Ribeiro.

However, Danny Welbeck bounced on a Sebastian Coates error to score a 77th-minute winner for Arsenal in their Group E game in the Europa League.

Arsenal have extended their winning run to 11 games in all competitions, but Emery knows that there is still work to be done if they are to match the club’s record of 14 victories in a row.

Arsenal came back from a goal down to secure their place in the next round of the Europa League.

“Each match is a very big opportunity to improve things and one thing is this. We spoke in the dressing room before the start of the match today about our objectives,” said Emery on Arsenal.com.

“And one objective is this. But the most important thing is that when we were in the dressing room at half-time, we spoke.

“We cannot impose our ideas in the first 45 minutes but in the second half we have the chance and the opportunity to change the result and continue in our way, thinking only to win this match and to improve things in the second half.

“I think we did that in the 45 minutes of the second half. But we need to continue finding the solution for us to be better in the first halves.”

Arsenal will now travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday for a Premier League match.